If you’ve never protested before, you probably think it really is showing up and shouting and chanting and handcuffing yourself to things.

Because that’s almost always what news media focuses on.

In many cases, there’s often a call by a community org.

> and that org usually has has meetings, and discussed strategies, actions, wording. The De-Escalate WA group had MULTIPLE meetings on just verbiage for our petitions and again for the bill.

Point being: you show up and trash the joint just bc you think this is how we protest >

> But really you crashed somebody else’s action.

If you are white, you need to not do that. If you hear abt a protest, def try to find out if there are community orgs, what the action plan is, and how to best support.

Jumping in to spraypaint BLM on walls might be counter >

> and we are now seeing folks literally saying, “But I was supporting Black folks,” when really their actions were abt their non-Black pain, confusion, anger.

They aren’t supporting IN. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/laugh-cry-live/201809/how-respond-people-in-crisis-comfort-in-dump-out

> Another thing to know is that you can better help by letting the community in question know what you can do.

Being a street medic.

Getting approved to be a legal observer.

Organizing bail funds and lawyer trees.

Graphic design for signs (me!)

And being ready to protect community elders (like pastors) by being white/able-bodied shields against the police.

You can’t do most of that if you aren’t talking to people and finding out what THEIR needs and strategies are.